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Every Tuesday ‘til Christmas, I’ll be joining my gal pal, Kim, in her 2008 End of the Year FAVORITES Party.  She assigns the FAVORITE topic each Tuesday.  It is her party, after all.  Join the fun.  And, hop over to Kim and give her a shout.  You will Lu-HUV that girl.  I love her for many reasons.  But, mostly because she laughs at me.  And, I like that in a person. 

Today’s FAVORITE assignment is Thanksgiving.  Huh.  Good call, Kim! 

Most of my Thanksgivings have been spent in Georgia.  I’ve spent two of my 33 Turkey Days in Oklahoma and will spend my third one here this Thursday.  One tradition that I maintain no matter if I am southeast or smack dab in the middle of America is my grandmother’s dressing.  As soon as I learned to drive {or never learned according to a few}, I began driving to Callie Mae’s house to help her make the dressing – or manna from heaven.  I have acquired her mad dressing makin’ skills.  Oh, yes I have. 

Side note:  Callie Mae is my Grandmother who is also Big Mama to many. 

This Thanksgiving Day will not go without Callie Mae’s dressing.  I thought I’d share her recipe with you.  It’s Southern.  It’s mad.  It’s go-o-od.

Callie Mae’s Dressing
You need:
cornmeal
8 eggs
salt & pepper
1 can cream of chicken
oil
buttermilk
1 stick of butter (melted)
3 or 4 onions (chopped)
12 saltines (crumbled)
5 pieces of loaf bread
small chicken (cooked)
broth from chicken
turkey juice

Directions:
Make 1 large pan of cornbread.  Mix 3 handfuls {gotta love Big Mama] of cornmeal, 1 egg, salt & pepper, and 2 spoons of oil.  {Teaspoon? Tablespoon? Nope. Just a regular old spoon.}  Add buttermilk and equal parts of water.  Add just enough to “make juicy,” Callie Mae says.  Pour mixture into large iron skillet. Make sure you cover skillet with 3 SPOONS of vegetable oil.  Cook on 450° until brown.

Cut cornbread up into large bowl.  Take juice from turkey and mix with cornbread.  Add cream of chicken, butter, onions, saltines, bread, broth, chicken, salt & pepper.  Whew.  I’m tired already.  Oh, and let that broth cool before pouring or Callie Mae will go pick a hickory stick.  Add remaining eggs, and “make it juicy!” 

Mix it all together and throw it into a large, deep glass bowl.  Begin baking at 350°.  When you start to see some bubblin’ on top, turn up the temp a little at a time until it hits 450°.  Cook approximately 1 hour until done.

Hmmm.  I hope I didn’t leave anything out.  Oh well.

Voila!  It’s not for the faint of heart.  But, I cannot imagine a Thanksgiving meal without it. 

Now, Kim said we could share a favorite Thanksgiving memory, tradition, game, or food.  And, I chose tradition.  When I told Kris I thought about sharing how Bryan, husband #1…..Wait.  Not insinuating that Bryan was like #1 as in Woo-Hoo, you win the prize.  Just that he was my first husband.  Well, ex-husband.  Follow?  Back to my story.  I thought about sharing how Bryan proposed to me on Thanksgiving Day and how sweet it was.  Kris was all like, “Why don’t we stick to the past 5 years.”  And, I was all like, “Okay, but it was such a sweet memory.”  And, I just dug deeper and deeper.  So here ya go.  Callie Mae’s Dressing. 

What’s one of your favorite Thanksgiving memories, traditions, games or foods?